Baby Blue
by riverphoenixlove
Summary: "I don't agree with anything you stand for, Jordan. But I find myself accepting it all. Because I feel that maybe if I bring myself to accept you, for you… you would possibly allow me to spend more time with you." I began to breath faster. What an unlikely friendship I felt as though I may had found in River Phoenix. (Takes place on the set of stand by me while its being made) R&R!
1. Chapter 1

I was nervous. More nervous than I had been in a long time. My aunt had done the stage design for many films for director, Francis Ford Coppola. Francis had taken a liking to me, always saying my fiery and passionate attitude would get me far in life. Now I was heading to watch the upcoming film, "Stand by me" in the making to help me further my education on film production. As a fifteen year old girl, I knew more about what I wanted to do with my life than most teenagers did. I wanted to teach film history. A college professor to be exact. My name is Jordan Maynes. Most people call me Jay though. I was born December 25, 1970. I've lived in northern California my whole life. A town a few miles outside of Lake Tahoe is where I had called home. Though my parents rented around wherever I needed to go when I would go on these trips to study like this one in the summer time. I'd lived a pretty generic life. My dad, Robert Maynes was part owner of a construction and electric company and my mom, Danielle Maynes was the business office manager at an insurance company. I had a little brother, Matthew Maynes, a cat named Elvis, and a dog named Willie Nelson. Both of my pets are named after the singers as you may have guessed. Life was never really all that hard. Sure, I'd had a few chores like any other kid. And sure I'd get a job every summer helping my dad dig ditches at my dad's work. But other than that, my hobbies included hunting, fishing, and camping. I was all about girl power, but I was no man hater if that's what you're thinking. My family was very conservative. And so was I. No one thought that I was conservative just because of my family. I had a mind of my own. I believed what I wanted to believe no matter how anyone else felt about it. Because I never believed in anything without a reason. I had always been able to accept other people's opinions that opposed my own with grace and understanding. It was one of my strong points. I was baptized Catholic. But found myself to feel just plain Christian. I believed in Jesus, I believed that God created the Heavens and the earth. I didn't believe in all the extra stuff that came with the specific religions. Though I was passionate about my very simple Christian beliefs. I never agreed with the way some religious people shoved their religion down other people's throats. I was a firm believer that everyone was entitled to their own opinion, whether you agreed with it or not.

"Mr. Reiner has sent me to bring you to him, Ms. Maynes." A perky blonde with her hair in a bun beamed. She seemed overly excited. But that was okay. I was overly excited to meet Rob Reiner. He was a great director. I'd read "The Body", the book which this new film was based off of and I knew Rob was just the right director for this film.

As I followed the blonde, I thought about the cast. Rumor had it Corey Feldman was in the film. And I had just adored him in "The Goonies". As we entered a sound stage, I saw meat head himself in the front row. I gulped hard. What had I ever done to deserve to meet a famous guy like that?

"Jordan! Come here! Come here! I've been so excited to meet you!" Rob Reiner… excited to meet me? I really wanted to know what I had done to deserve this now.

"Call me Jay, please. Y-you're exited to meet me?" I stuttered out. Get it together! I told myself. He's a person just like you! Rob met me half way, a smile plastered on his face.

"Yes! From what Francis says, you're definitely a girl worth meeting." Rob grinned towards me.

"Oh, really? What does he say?" I giggled nervously.

"Too much to tell. To cut it short, he says you're a fervent little thing about everything you do. We don't have many fifteen year olds like that." Rob complimented me. I just smiled. Frances was one of the nicest men I had ever met in my entire life. He gave me opportunities like this just because he knew it would help me in life. I always knew I'd be eternally grateful to the man.

"Come here, we'll be leaving for the set soon. We're meeting all the actors down there. Donald Southerland's son is in the film." My jaw dropped. THE Donald Southerland?! How much crazier could life even get? I was a very blessed kid to say the least.

"Okay Mr. Reiner. I'll be taking notes on what I see out of the actors and directing and screenplay and setting and all that jazz if that's okay." Rob nodded and led me out to a White Cadillac.

After pulling into a woodsy area, Rob got out of the car. I took the hint and got out myself.

"This is Jerry O'Connell, he'll be playing Vern." Rob said after we made it to a certain part of the area where a camera crew was set up. I looked up to see a pudgy kid who was eleven or so. He had brown hair and light blue eyes.

"Hi there! You're Jordan, right? I've heard all about you. You're like a family or something to Frances Ford Coppola, didn't you say that, Rob?" Jerry babbled. Jerry was like the character of Vern even in real life. He was gonna make a great friend, I thought to myself. I gave him a friendly smile, making him turn a light shade of pink.

"Over there is Corey Feldman. He's playing Teddy Duchamp. You probably know him from-"

"The Goonies! I heard a rumor he was gonna be in this movie!" I said excitedly. Rob laughed at my enthusiasm. He was such a nice guy. I already knew this was going to be an unforgettable time.

"Over at the food table is Wil Wheaton, he's playing Gordie." Rob informed.

"Oh and that's River Phoenix." He pointed to the boy leaning against a tree house. He was cute. He had a buzz cut and a really nice tan. He was a looker alright.

"They're all good boys. Don't be afraid to talk to them." Rob said before walking away. I gulped, these were the big times. Jerry smiled at me.

"Let me introduce you to the other boys. He said, starting to walk. I quickly followed, eager to meet them. We first walked up to Wil. Jerry tapped him on the shoulder.

"Morning Jerry." Wil said before taking another bite of his doughnut. Jerry pointed at me. Wil's eyes widened.

"You're that girl Rob was telling us about, aren't you? I'm Wil." He stuck his hand out for me to shake. I took it gladly, smiling at him. He blushed just the way Jerry had. Why were they blushing?

"Let's go meet Corey, okay Jordan?" Wil said to me, we made our way over to Corey, who was practicing his lines 'A pile of shit has a thousand eyes' I thought I heard him mumble, followed by a laugh. Wil called him, interrupting his lines. Corey turned and glared at Wil and Jerry, I stood behind them.

"Could you not see I was practicing my lines? Script in hand!" Corey waved the thick stack of stapled papers around irritably. I stepped forward and waved at Corey. Jerry spoke up.

"This Jordan. Oh wait, do you prefer Jordan or something else?" Jerry turned to me. I nodded my head, like I said earlier, I preferred to be called Jay. I used to get told that my parents really wanted a boy so they named me Jordan, a boy's name. The sad part was, when I asked my mom if she wanted a boy or a girl, she said she had wanted a boy.

"I go by Jay. Spelled, J-A-Y." I smiled at all of them.

"I'm Corey." I grinned happily. I stuck my hand out for him to shake, he shook it almost too quickly. I arched an eyebrow.

"Alright, let's take her to go meet River." Corey said. We made our way over to the tree house where River still stood. He was very concentrated on his work. He didn't even seem to hear Wil call his name. Corey snatched River's script from him.

"We have someone we want you to meet, River." Jerry said to him. River looked up finally, revealing a pair of gorgeous green eyes. It took me a second to get a hold of myself. He was… beautiful. One of the most gorgeous people I had ever seen in my life.

"This is Jordan. The one Rob was telling us about yesterday. She likes to be called Jay though." Corey introduced me. River eyed me for a moment, looking me up and down. He read my teal shirt. Two rifles were on it and the shirt read "Hunt like a girl". He stared at me for a moment before snatching his script back from Wil and looking down at it, not saying a word. My jaw dropped. What an ass hole. The boys and I began to walk away at the same time.

"What a fucking dick." I spat, not caring if he heard. What a waste of good looks. The boys almost looked scared of me.

"What, never seen a girl with a foul mouth?" I laughed. They looked absolutely shocked. Geez, they should meet my grandmother if they think my mouth is bad, I thought to myself.

"Sorry… you're just kind of a bad ass…." Wil murmured. I laughed a bit. It wasn't the first time I'd gotten that. I considered it a compliment. If you thought I was gonna grow up to be a stay at home mom who had dinner ready for her husband as soon as he got home, you were dead wrong.

"Why, because I hunt? Or because I talk the way I want to?" I asked. They looked at me in awe.

"B-both." Jerry gulped. I just laughed.

It was lunch time now and my mom had packed me a lunch. I was given a bag of chips, beef jerky, a pear, and left over pulled pork from the dinner the night before.

"Jay that smells really good. Did your dad make that or something?" Corey asked. We were all sat at a picnic table that was painted green. Including River. I looked at Corey.

"Yeah it's pulled pork It's from the hog I killed about two weeks ago." I replied, earning a disgusted look from River. I glared at him. I seriously wanted to know what his problem was.

"Can I try some Jay?" Wil asked. I smiled and nodded, handing him the other half of the sandwich. As soon as his teeth sank into the French bread, he shut his eyes.

"Jay that's one of the most delicious things I've ever tasted in my life." Wil said, taking another bite.

"Hey do you think I could.." Wil pointed to the sandwhich. I nodded, letting out a breathy laugh.

"Hey can we try some Wil?" Jerry asked. Wil nodded and passed the sandwich to Jerry. Jerry quickly bit into the sandwich. He gave me a thumbs up before taking another bite.

"Leave some for me!" Corey snatched the sandwich away from Jerry and gulped down a bite.

"I'll bring you each a sandwich tomorrow if you want. We have plenty of meat left. That is if you guys want it." They all nodded their heads furiously, making me laugh. River glared at me.

"I'm sure the hog was just as enthusiastic when you murdered it." River rolled his eyes. I scoffed.

"Ever heard of animal population balance?" I snapped. His eyes widened, then narrowed. This was going to be a show down. We both knew it.

"Ever heard of animal cruelty?" He fired back. I growled under my breath. This was pissing me off now.

"Ever heard of a difference in opinion and or lifestyle?" He was taken aback by this. I arched an eyebrow. How'd he like me now? I looked away from him and took another bite of my sandwich, ignoring him the rest of the lunch time. In fact I didn't say another word to any of them.

"Thank you for the ride home Mr. Reiner." I smiled. He chuckled before telling me it was okay to call him Rob and drove away. I walked up my driveway and into the house. My mom was doing work at the computer and my dad was playing catch with my little brother.

"Hey, how was it? Was it interesting? Let's see the notes you took!" my mom said excitedly. She was always just as excited as me when I got these opportunities.

"I didn't take very many, mom. They were mostly working on lighting for a scene in this tree house in a secluded woodsy area. No acting today." She smiled, but didn't answer. She just went back to her work. I went down the hall and to my bedroom. Today had been so long, but I still wanted to go back the next day to watch them sound test for what would work in the tree house. I put my face into the cool sheeted pillow that laid on my bed.

"Jay! It's for you!" I heard my mom yell from the dining room.

"Tell whoever it is to call my line!" I groaned. I hated it when my friends called my regular home phone. If I was going to talk to you then I wanted to talk to you in the privacy of my room, not in front of my whole family like some sort of free show. I heard my mom recite my number to whoever was on the other end of the line. Who was calling me? All my other friends had my phone number in their phone books, that is if they didn't know it by heart. My phone line started to ring. I lifted my face off my pillow and grabbed it quickly off the nightstand.

"Hello?" I said trying not to sound annoyed.

River- _Hey there_

Jay- Is this River?

River- It very much is.

Jay- Why are you calling me? Wait how'd you even get my number?

River- Your mother just gave it to me a second ago.

Jay- Well how'd you get my home number?

River- You don't need to know.

Jay- Whatever River. I have to go, b-

River- No, wait! Please! Um… what are you doing?

Jay- What do you have up your sleeve? Why am I on the phone with you?

River- Because I called you.

Jay- You're pissing me off and I'm going to hang up on you.

River- NO! Um… I just wanted to call and say I'm sorry for being rude.

Jay- Gee, thank you. I'll take that oh so sincere apology to heart.

River- I'm serious… My parents are disappointed in me. They are rarely ever disappointed in me. I realize I was terribly rude to you and I feel awful. They want you to come over for dinner, maybe tomorrow night.

Jay- No offense but I kind of hate you.

River- And that's okay. My parents are staying in some sort of time share thing in the next town over, my mom will take us over and my mom will drive you home.

Jay- I.. fine. I'll come. But I still hate you.

River- And that's still okay. I'll see you tomorrow, darling.

And with that he hung up. Wait, did he call me darling?


	2. Chapter 2

"So he just asked you to come over?" Jerry said, dumbfounded. I nodded, still shocked and slightly confused with the conversation I had had with him the night before. I was running lines with Jerry at the moment, every once and a while shooting the breeze. He was more confused by my situation with River than I was. Jerry looked at me for a minute before speaking again.

"I really don't get it. You didn't seem to like each other all that much yesterday. Now you're going to meet his family? I know I'm only eleven.." I smiled as he tried to make sense of it all. Little did he know, I was trying to make sense of the matter as well.

"I'm just kinda rollin' with the punches, ya know what I mean? I aint the kind of person to hold a grudge. I don't exactly know him. But I'm not mad. I mean it's not like I'm an angel. I say things I regret sometimes, just in the heat of the moment. River said he was sorry, I can live with that." I laid down on the green grass and shut my eyes. River's apology was bland, but so was every apology I had ever made.

"Hey, that's really nice of you. Did you bring those sandwiches, Jay?" Jerry asked. I chuckled. I saw that one coming from a mile away. I nodded, keeping my eyes shut. Jerry got up to tell the other guys about the food. I smiled to myself, laughing a bit.

"Hello Jordan." I hear a soft voice. I open my eyes to see River standing above me. I sighed, realizing he never called me Jay like a preferred.

"Jay, call me Jay. I don't like being called by my full name." I stated, sitting up and resting my weight on my palms, which were firmly placed behind me.

"Your first name is fine. You were given it at birth, it's what you should be called. It's not a bad name Jordan. Why don't ya like your name?" he asked me. There was so many reasons why I didn't like my first name. My first name truly annoyed the shit out of me.

"It's so… not unique. It's so common. I would have rather been named something grand and with meaning. Like Esmeralda or-" River cut me off by waving his hands in the air. He looked up at me, his green eyes very serious.

"Jordan. I want you to listen real good to what I'm saying right now. Your name may not be the least used name in the entire world, but I think what really gives a name meaning is a personality to go right along with it." I smiled a bit. Someone had actually managed to make me feel good about my first name. My parents didn't even call me by my full name anymore.

"You'll die when you hear my middle name. I kind of wish it was my first name just because I've never met anyone with that name before." I remarked. He nodded for me to continue.

"My middle name is Pistol. My dad's really into guns as you probably guessed yesterday and he said he had a gut feeling I was going to end up being a fiery little pistol just like mom is. So, I'm Jordan Pistol Maynes." He smiled at me. I couldn't believe it, I may have found common ground with River Phoenix. River didn't say anything though, he sat there for a moment, studying my face intently.

"Jordan Pistol Maynes. I've never met anyone like you in my life." He rested his hand on mine. My breath hitched. His touch was something I had never experienced. And, it was nothing like anything I ever had.

"You think a small town girl from up in the mountains of Northern California has ever met a guy like you, River Phoenix?" I smiled lightly, as he shook his head as he looked down at the grass.

"I accept you." He whispered, looking up and staring at me intently again. I gave him a look that expressed my confusion.

"I don't agree with anything you stand for, Jordan. But I find myself accepting it all. Because I feel that maybe if I bring myself to accept you, for you… you would possibly allow me to spend more time with you." I began to breath faster. What an unlikely friendship I felt as though I may had found in River Phoenix.

"And maybe I want to accept you River." River scooted closer to me. But we suddenly heard Rob yell that it was time for the boys to start sound check. River hopped up offering his hand. I took it and quickly bounded for the tree house, leaving River behind. I really didn't want him to see me blush.

After sound rehearsal, I passed the sandwiches to all of the boys, excluding River of course. River couldn't even look at it.

"Um, River… how about you come with me." I grabbed my lunch, which was in a brown paper bag and headed to another picnic table a good twenty feet away. I had eaten my sandwich while they were in sound check so he would have someone to talk to that wasn't eating meat. He sat down across from me, a muddled look on his face. I pulled out some granola and yogurt.

"I wasn't going to make you watch us eat meat again. That would be cruel. You can handle me eating yogurt, I know vegans do-" he cut me off like he seemed to sometimes. He was staring at me once again. He always seemed to stare at me, like I was something worth looking at.

"Jordan, it was very courteous of you to think of me when choosing your food. I can be around you when you're eating yogurt and eggs and milk and other things. It's just meat that I truly can't stand to watch people eat." I avoided eye contact with him once again, not wanting to blush. I felt his eyes very much fixed on me still.

"Do you avoid eye contact with me when I make you blush Jordan?" More heat came rushing to my face. He seemed to be doing this on purpose. Maybe to get a rise out of me. I didn't want to say something stupid like 'shut up' or something but it was like he'd taken my witty come backs away from me. I knew if I kept hanging around River Phoenix, any kind of guard I had ever built up would come down. I would be forced to be raw. River laughed, I knew he'd known the answer all along.

"I still don't like it when you call me that River." He laughed again. A laugh that made you think of happiness. Of the simplicity in life.

"Well if you really don't like I guess we'll have to find a name you do like. You said you wanted something unique, didn't you?" I nodded my head. I truly did want something different. Something that stood out.

"Jordan… Jay…. Jay… Blue Jay. Blue. There it is, Blue." River smiled at me. Don't blush! I scolded myself as I felt my face heat up once more.

As we finished lunch, River continued to call me Blue. It made me blush obviously. One particular time, he even said something that embarrassed me a bit. My eyes widened and my face began to burn. My first instinct was to walk away, which I did begin to do. Only to feel a tug on my forearm.

"Don't be embarrassed. You make my heart skip beat when I'm only looking at you." I whispered simply in my ear. I felt butterflies in my stomach.

We stood outside the woodland area where the tree house was located and we had spent the day working, waiting for River's mother, Heart. He spoke very fondly of his mother, saying she was something that he didn't think he could live without. Though River told me he helped his family financially, he told me that he couldn't be here without his family's loving and emotional support. When his mother pulled up, we walked up to the car. Three other children were in the car as far as I could see.

"Hello sweet heart, I'm Heart. You must be…" She looked as though she was lost. River then finished for her.

"Blue, mom." He said to her simply, as we finally reached the car. River opened the car door for me, I smiled a thank you towards him. I was right, there was three other children in the car. They didn't look very much like River at all. River got into the front seat beside his mother.

"So I heard that you eat meat." A boy in the back of the car said matter-of-factly.

"Yes I do, actually. You're all vegan like River I assume?" The boy nodded. I smiled at him. He was young, maybe nine or ten I supposed.

"So you_ do _eat meat?" A teenage girl said with an arched eyebrow. I nodded nervously. I honestly felt out numbered. And to be perfectly blunt, I was afraid they were going to judge me the same way I had felt River had in the beginning.

"Leave her alone, Rain. I don't want to hear you talk to her again." River said, not even turning around to face us.

"I'm sorry. I was just curious, River. She's just so…"

"What you are trying to say is.. not like you." She was left dumbfounded, the way her brother had been when I had told him off the day before. I didn't say a word the rest of the way home, and neither did anyone else. To my surprise, when we pulled into their driveway and parked, River grabbed my hand and led me inside. Another little girl who was maybe six or seven was sitting on their couch, writing. As soon as she saw River, her eyes lit up with pure joy. It melted my heart.

"River! Do you want to read what I just wrote for my story?" She asked excitedly. He picked her up and swung the tan girl around.

"Of course I do Summer. How's Bobby Banana doing?" Summer giggled. This was a very family oriented home.

"Do you want to help us write about Bobby Banana?" She asked me. I didn't know how to answer. I didn't know how things rolled in their home. I didn't know if it was some sort of sibling ritual they did and no one else could do it. I stuttered a bit, not wanting to ignore the little girl.

"Come and sit, Blue." River invited, already seated on the couch. I smiled awkwardly at Summer before sitting next to River.

"I want Bobby to make friends with someone that isn't a fruit!" River said enthusiastically to his sister. Summer's nose scrunched up in confusion. It was sort of funny, how they had absolutely no fear of anything that came out of their mouth sounding weird. I had grown up hoping not to accidentally say anything that may raise eyebrows. This seemed like the kind of place where it was encouraged.

"How about Debbie dinosaur." I suggested quietly. Summer looked at me as if I had just suggested we jump off the edge of a cliff. She studied me the way her brother always seemed to. As if trying to memorize every part of my face.

"But they're so different…" Summer looked from River to me until River finally spoke up. I knew that he knew I wasn't going to speak.

"Well Summer. When things are different, it makes things less boring. Don't you think it takes many types of people to have a good world?" She nodded her head. What kind of small child could comprehend such philosophical words that had just left River's mouth?

"River, she's different. But she's still good, isn't she?" Summer said, pointing at me. I became nervous again. The fear of judgment was looming.

"Yeah, Summer. She's still good." River stared at me once more

**Review for more please!**


	3. Chapter 3

**River's POV**

"I think she's great, River. She's so… I don't know, accepting!" Liberty cooed. My mother and I had just gotten back from dropping Blue off at her house. It was late, so me and mom didn't get to meet her parents. But she lived in a decent neighborhood with two pickup trucks and an SUV in the front yard. The sort of thing I had expected, to be perfectly honest. I wondered what she had thought of the vegan dinner. My mom had tried to hold back on the extra vegan recipes. She had made a regular salad, a fruit salad, and we had Ginger Soba Noodles. She hadn't shied away from eating all that was on her plate, but I didn't know if she had just done that for it to seem like she had liked it or if she had genuinely enjoyed the meal.

"I can't believe you were mean to a girl like that River." Joaquin shook his head furiously. I couldn't really believe it either.

"Are you gonna have her over again, River?" Rain asked me. I shrugged, not knowing if it would be possible to. What if she still hated me from yesterday? I thought to myself. Wow the fact that so much had happened between us in a matter of two days was wild.

"She told me she hated me. She probably felt obligated to come over." I admitted. It was a fear of mine that she had only come because she felt she had to. I had told her over the phone that my parents were the ones that had invited her. I was so intrigued by all of the passion she held as a person. In a way I felt like the character I was playing in Stand by Me. I felt as if I had lost all chance because of the first impression.

"River, I'm sorry but if she really hated you, she wouldn't have come. She doesn't seem like the type to hold a grudge the way you're perceiving." My father, John said as he entered the room. I wanted him to be right.

The next day, I came early to set, hoping to maybe get some more time with Blue. Rob was the only one there when I got there. I stood back for a moment, admiring the trees and the all the area before walking over to Rob.

"Well, you're here early, aren't you River?" Rob chuckled before taking a gulp from his water bottle. I nodded.

"Yeah, well what time is Bl- um Jay going to be here?" I asked. Rob's eyebrows scrunched together.

"I saw you two butting heads a couple days ago, what's going on?" I looked down at my feet. To be frank, I didn't really know. I was feeling very confused about my feelings for Blue, and I didn't know how to react to them. All I knew was that I wanted to be around her.

"She's a fire cracker, that one. She's a pretty little thing too, huh?" I nodded. She really was beautiful. She had long light brown hair, with almond shaped eyes, and eyelashes so long they could probably be confused for those fake ones you can buy at the store.

"She's really articulate too. It's striking, ya know? But I don't know if I actually like her like that I'm just really confused, you know what I mean?" Rob nodded his head.

"She's not going to be here today. She's going hiking with a dad." Rob informed me. I loved hiking. Maybe we could go hiking sometime together. I wanted to be friends with Blue. I liked being around her. Summer wouldn't stop asking when she was coming back. And to be honest I was thinking the same thing from the moment she left.

"Think of it this way. Since she's not going to be here, you can concentrate on actually acting instead of pretty girls." Rob joked. I laughed along, not wanting him to know that I was still thinking of the articulate girl.

"So that girl Jay.. she really holds her own doesn't she guys?" Wil commented. All the boys nodded, including myself.

"She's just so pretty. Maybe she'd come to my house for dinner too." Corey laughed. No. I wanted to say. She won't. I told myself. Why was I assuring myself of these things? I had no problem with the other boys on set. I really liked them actually. But there was just something about another boy wanting or getting her that didn't set right with me. I didn't know why, I barely knew the girl. That was a very bizarre realization.

It was night time and I was trying to get up the nerve to call her. She was someone whom I now considered a friend after all. It wasn't weird, right? I picked up the phone that was on my night stand. I had my own phone line that I paid for myself. I called her phone line this time, instead of the home. The phone rang twice before being picked up.

"Hello?" She croaked

**River- **Have you been crying, Blue?

**Blue- **N-no I haven't..

**River- **You're crying now, aren't you?

**Blue- **I-I…

**River- **What's wrong, Blue?

**Blue- **It's not fucking fair..

**River- **Can I come to your house and see you?

**Blue- **Why is this happening to me? Why me? Why him?

**River-** I'm going to come, alright?

**Blue- **O-okay

**River- **I'll see you in a little bit

After hanging up, I walked out to the living room where my mom sat reading a book. I stood for a moment not saying anything, not wanting to interrupt her. She looked up at me.

"Mom I need you to take me to Blue's house. Please don't ask questions. I don't know a whole lot I just need to be there." My mother nodded. She had always trusted me as if I was another adult.

We made our way to the car after telling my father where we were going. He was confused, but trusted my mom and let us leave without any questions. The car ride was silent mostly.

"Call me when you need to be picked up, River." I nodded, leaving the car and walking up to the front door. There was no cars in the driveway, so I decided to try opening the door. It did open, with no problem.

"Blue, Blue are you in here?" I called throughout the house. No answer. But I followed the sound of sobbing. I walked down the hall and opened a cracked door the rest of the way. She laid in the fetal position on her bed, furiously bawling her eyes out.

"Hey, hey, hey. What's wrong baby blue?" She didn't look up. I walked towards the bed where she laid. I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at her for a moment. I slowly pulled her upwards. I wasn't going to lie she was an absolute mess. Her hair was every which way, I could tell her face was swollen and she was trembling.

"It's my fault. It's all my fault." She sobbed harder with each word. I rubbed circles on her back. Everyone thought she was so put together and could hold her own, but as I had suspected all along, she needed people too.

"Hey, calm down and tell me what happened, Blue." She took in a shaky breath before talking.

"My d-dad. He… we were h-hiking and I r-ran up a t-trail h-he told m-me not to a-and I w-went any-yway and th-there.. it w-was rock-ky a-and he w-went a-after me a-and I almost s-slipped and h-he went to help m-me up and h-he slipped and h-hit his h-head. H-he's in a-Acoma r-right now." I blinked several times as she wept into my chest.

"Where's the rest of your family, Blue?" I rocked her back and forth. Her breathing became more even.

"T-they're at the ho-ho-ho." It was as if she literally was unable to say the word. My heart broke for Blue. It wasn't like she had gone up that trail with the intention of putting her father into a coma.

"Hospital?" I questioned, just to make doubly sure that was what she had meant. She nodded, the tears beginning to spill from her eyes faster.

"I-I don't know h-how much l-longer I want t-to b-be in the w-world." She whimpered quietly, letting her head fall into my lap. She had come so undone, she was clinging onto the only thing that seemed to want life. She was so desperate for love and life that she was clinging to someone she barely knew.

"Don't do this now. What's going to happen when your father wakes up and finds out his little girl is gone when she doesn't have to be, hm?" She shivered.

"Wh-hat if.." she began.

"He will, Blue." I reassured her. She sniffled before sitting up. Suddenly, out of nowhere, she lunged at me and wrapped her arms around my neck, I felt her suck in a shaky breath.

"W-why did y-you come R-River?" She asked gently. I slowly wrapped my arm around her, bringing her body closer to me, which was shaking.

"I knew you needed comfort, and for some reason you weren't getting it. I couldn't let you go without.. look at the insane thoughts crossing your mind. You could have acted upon them. I couldn't.. wouldn't let it happen." For a moment, I thought I saw a smile cross her quivering lips.

"I t-told you I h-hated y-you more than o-once, and y-you still came." I simply nodded, still hugging her.

"I-I d-don't think I d-deserve it." She looked up at me with her big brown almost puppy dog like eyes. A sad puppy, that's what she looked like that night.

"You do." I countered. She stayed silent as I looked around the room. My eyes finally landed in the corner, a brown guitar laid there, it was simple and maybe even cheap but I never the less moved her head gently onto the mattress and quietly walked across the room and grabbed the guitar.

"Mind if I toy with this thing?" I asked her. She shook her head, giving me permission. I turned on the bedside lamp before beginning to tune it, she sat up and watched my actions closely. She was still crying, but this seemed to be a way for her to try and concentrate on something else. But I knew there was no taking her mind off of it completely.

"What kind of music do you like, Blue?" Her pointer finger found its way to her chin as she thought.

"Bon J-Jovi… a-and Van Halen… and Pat Benatar.. Def Leppard." She listed. I smiled at her.

"Secret rocker chick, eh?" I nudged her playfully.

"N-not secretly, I've seen Bon Jovi in concert b-before." I mentally gave myself a pat on the back. She was calming down a bit.

"Do you like Fleetwood Mac?" I asked Blue. She nodded, her eyes still glassy. I positioned to guitar and began to strum, just to get a feel for the guitar and how it seemed to play.

Is love so fragile  
And the heart so hollow?  
Shatter with words  
Impossible to follow

Saying I'm fragile  
I try not to be  
I search only  
For something I can't see

I have my own life  
And I am stronger  
Than you know

But I carry this feeling  
When you walked into my house  
That you won't be walking out the door

Still I carry this feeling  
When you walked into my house  
That you won't be walking out the door

Lovers forever, face to face  
My city or mountains  
Stay with me, stay

I need you to love me  
I need you today  
Give to me your leather  
Take from me my lace

You in the moonlight  
With your sleepy eyes  
Could you ever love a man like me?

And you were right  
When I walked into your house  
I knew I'd never want to leave

Sometimes I'm a strong man  
Sometimes cold and scared  
And sometimes I cry

But that time I saw you  
Knew with you to light my nights  
Somehow I'd get by

Lovers forever, face to face  
My city or mountains  
Stay with me, stay

I need you to love me  
I need you today  
Give to me your leather  
Take from me my lace

Lovers forever, face to face  
My city or mountains  
Stay with me, stay

I need you to love me  
I need you today  
Give to me your leather  
Take from me my lace

Take from me my lace  
Take from me my lace

We had sang the duet together. She was sat up next to me now, singing her heart out, though she still looked pained as ever. And even though I knew she probably didn't sound this way, all I heard was an angel when she opened her mouth to sing. She looked up at me, the moonlight shining perfectly on her. Even broken the way she was, she still looked inhumanly beautiful. She had a glowingly, magnificent aura that she carried with grace even when she was angry the way she had been the first day we had met. Without thinking, I leaned my face towards hers, but I quickly re-aimed my lips towards her forehead. They gently ghosted the top of her face. I broke away from our skin to skin contact slowly. Suddenly, a dong went off. Her head shot up.

"Th-the grandfather clock.. it's m-midnight…" She looked around before looking me in the eyes.

"I can stay as long as you want me too, Blue." I said genuinely. She seemed to be thinking for a moment.

"N-no River. You need t-to sleep. Your work n-needs you to l-look y-your best. I don't kn-know if I-I'll be there t-tmorrow. I-I don't think s-so." She said quietly. All that had been forgotten for just a small amount of time was now remembered. I ran my hand softly up and down her right arm.

"I'll come here tomorrow if you don't show up if that's okay with you." She nodded slowly. I stared at her. Something I couldn't help but do quite often. I kind of wondered if she knew that I did that.

"Let me call my mom to come pick me up, alright?" She nodded again. After I had called, I had an impulse to grab her hand. And when I did, she didn't stop me, instead she moved closer to me.

My mom soon pulled up in front of the house, and I hugged Blue long and tight before leaving. It really did pain me to leave her. But she had asked me to, I wouldn't go against her wishes. And as I walked out the door, and for the rest of that night, the lyrics "You in the moonlight, with your sleepy eyes… could you ever love a man like me?" Were stuck unmovably in my mind. And for good reason too, because I was truly wondering this same exact thing.

**Hey lovelies! I have been meaning to put this chapter up. but once it hit August i decided to wait until River's birthday (which it is american time) so i decided to update today! review if you want another update. if i get ten reviews or more i will update by the end of this week. Thank you SO MUCH for all the reviews! i cant tell you how much they motivated me! Ps please dont be sad today. river wouldnt want us to be sad. though i am being a little hypocritical there. RIP my beautiful River Phoenix. you are my inspiration. And this story is for you.**


	4. Chapter 4

"Man, that's really awful…" Wil Wheaton gulped. I had just finished telling him and the rest of the boys about why Blue would most probably not be coming today. Well, maybe it was a little far from the truth, but not too far. I had told them he had accidentally fell while they were hiking and that he was in critical condition at the hospital. I hadn't told them how he had fallen or why. And I definitely told them about our time together the night before, and obviously not state she was in. Luckily, they didn't question me on how I knew.

"Is he… is he like gonna die, man?" Corey asked, looking sincerely sad for his new friend. I shrugged my shoulders.

"He's in a coma. I have a feeling he's gonna make it, but they won't know everything until he wakes up." I replied. We all looked around awkwardly. It's a weird feeling, talking about the bad things going on in someone's life when they aren't there. You sit there talking about the stuff that you wouldn't say in front of them. It felt wrong, even if you didn't mean it in a bad way.

"She must be crushed. She really likes her dad, she's always talking about the trips and stuff they do together. If I lost my dad…" Jerry trailed off, knowing everyone got his point and that he wasn't really helping the mood.

"Let's just hope she doesn't do anything stupid like killing herself." Corey said before shaking his head, seemingly shocked. My breath hitched as my mind went to last night. How she had told me something much too similar to Corey's last statement. As I sat with the other three boys, I wondered if she was okay. If she had visited the hospital. But most of all, deep inside, I was wondering if she really had wanted me to leave the night before.

"Yeah, but she's too strong of a girl to do anything like that." Wil said as he stood up, dusting off his jeans. Corey stood up with him and they began to walk away.

"Hey, River? Please don't take this the wrong way, really, please don't. But I think you know more about what's going on with Jay than you let on." Jerry said to me, looking nervous. I looked at the other boys who were a good fifteen feet away now, engrossed in their own conversation by then. I then looked back to Jerry.

"You're a pretty smart eleven year old, you know that, kid?" I said before getting up, Jerry got up too. He looked at me in awe. He had always seemed to admire me for some reason. They all did. Maybe it was because I was the oldest.

"SO YOU DO!" Jerry yelled while pointing at me. I'm not really sure what look I gave him, but it shut him up really quickly.

"Sorry…" He practically mouthed. I nodded as I walked away, accepting his apology.

"Are you going to visit her today?" Jerry asked me softly.

"Maybe. I'm debating whether I should call her or just go to her house." I said, looking towards the tree house.

"You know where she lives?" Jerry asked me. I nodded.

"Hey boys." It was Kiefer Sutherland. He was playing the main antagonist, and he seemed to be in character at almost all times. It was sort of scary to be honest. He always seemed to be stone cold, with no emotion. Or he was being sarcastic, it was hard to tell the difference sometimes.

"H-hi Kiefer." I stuttered out my greeting. For one of the first times ever, he smiled at me.

"Heard you got a girl, congrats man." My eyebrows furrowed in evident confusion.

"Stopped by the gas station on the way here, walked into the Chevron to get a coffee. Saw this little beauty." He shoved a magazine into my chest. I scanned the Tiger Beat magazine. There was a picture of me and Blue getting into my car the day she'd come to my house for dinner. What the hell? We were in the middle of NO WHERE filming this, how had they gotten pictures? Didn't they have other people to take pictures of? Like Rob Lowe or Emilio Estevez?

"I'm not even famous what the he-" Kiefer let out a breathy laugh.

"Get used to it dude. If them paparazzi assholes see anything even remotely controversial, it's gonna be in the tabloids. Don't worry though, it wasn't a cover story, those are the ones that get really exaggerated and escalated." Kiefer finished his advice type words before walking away.

"What the…" I shook my head to clear my thoughts before hearing Rob Reiner call us back to work.

Rehearsal was finally over and I had decided to call Blue a little bit earlier. She seemed to have pulled herself together and was as back to normal as she could possibly get. After asking her to dinner, I was on my way to her house to pick her up. Not only did I want to get to know her better, but I wanted to help keep her spirits up. I invited to other boys, including Kiefer, They all decided to come. Kiefer wouldn't be at rehearsal for a week because he had to go do some stuff down in LA. Apparently, I would need to be going to LA the week after, all the boys actually. As we pulled up to her home, I noticed she wasn't waiting outside the way she said she'd be. I got out of Kiefer's car, who was driving us there and dropping all of us off after. As I walked up to her home, I began to hear yelling. Obviously it got louder and louder as I got closer and closer to the house, but that didn't mean I could understand it any better. I soon realized it wasn't even in English. It was a Latin based language, I knew that much from being fluent in Spanish due to situations in my early life, but it wasn't actually Spanish. I didn't think it was Italian either. I reluctantly knocked on the door.

"Eu não me importo avó, eu estou deixando! (I do not care grandmother I am leaving!)" I heard Blue's semi familiar voice screech.

"eu não quero que você vai sair com rapazes estranhos!, Jordânia! (I do not want you going out with strange boys, Jordan.)" I heard a shaky voice retort.

"Quantas vezes eu tenho que lhe dizer para não me chamar assim?! (how many times do i have to tell you not to call me that?!)" The door swung open and I saw Blue. Her eyes were still a bit puffy, she had make up on, and her hair was in a sleek ponytail. She gave me a light smile, shutting the door behind her.

"It's cold out her isn't it?" She said before zipping up her leather jacket and walking away. I looked back at the house. In the large front window, a short haired woman with leathery worn skin stood there, looking at me sternly. Her arms crossed across her chest. She was petite, maybe 5'1 or so. But she looked angry, so much so that it scared me, to be quite frank about it. Her brown eyes bore into mine, there was a tension between us that confused me greatly. I gave her a few once overs. I could tell she was worn out, that life had worn her out. She had been in the sun a lot, that was clear by her worn, tan skin. And she held resentment. Just by looking at the old woman, you could tell she resented many things that had gone on in her life. I felt a tug on my arm.

"Come on River." I heard Blue's voice. I let her pull me to the car. After about five seconds, I looked back to the window. The woman was gone, and the curtains were shut.

"Who was that?" I asked her. She stopped at the car and turned to look at me, shrugging.

"My dad's mom." She rolled her eyes.

"Take it you don't like her?" I replied. She shrugged again, getting into the car. I climbed in after her.

"Does she speak English?" I asked.

"Yeah, it's just easier if I speak Portuguese to her. Her accent is too thick for me to understand to be perfectly honest."

"I didn't know you were bilingual, Jay!" Corey said from the front seat. There were three seats in the front and three seats in the back of the car, so we all fit, but we were crammed.

"Yeah, but I guess I'm trilingual, I know sign language too." She smiled. She had a warm smile, it was never very wide, she didn't even show her teeth, but it was a contagious small smirk of a smile that held so much mischief, it was sultry and seductive and I was pretty sure that the other guys saw it that way too because of the way they stared at her when she smiled. She was a natural pretty you didn't see all the time.

"Good seein' you again Jay." Kiefer said, not taking his eyes off the road. She smiled again.

"You as well, Kiefer. We still goin' to that one Italian place?" She asked and everyone nodded. I wanted the car ride to just be over with. If we're being completely blunt, I was afraid of one of the boys embarrassing me in front of her, especially Kiefer. I didn't want him teasing me about her, which we all knew he was the instigating type, but none of us four boys could ever figure out if he acted that way because he liked to stay at least a little bit I character or if that was just his way.

"Aren't you gonna hold your girlfriend's hand?" Corey said, turning around and snickering. I scoffed a bit.

"Shut your pie hole Feldman." I looked up to see Blue in deep conversation with Wil, which meant she probably didn't hear Corey's stupid side comment. We parked the car in the restaurant lot.

"Better make a move before Wil takes over." Kiefer said to me. I looked to see Wil opening the car door for Blue. I quickly got out and approached them.

"So there's a town fair going on a couple blocks away, do you want to, uh maybe go after dinner?" I stared at my shoes and kicked the sidewalk, truly nervous as to if I would get rejected by her.

"That'd be really swell, River! I just gotta be home before midnight tonight. I'm getting up early to go visit my dad tomorrow." Blue crossed her arms and looked off a ways. Her mind was obviously now on her dad.

"Oh yeah, how's he doing?" Jerry asked her. I really wished he wouldn't have said anything about that. The other boys all awkwardly tried to listen in.

"Not worse, not better." She bit her lip.

"Um… Let's go inside." I said slowly. I put my hand on her lower back and led her towards the restaurant entry door.

"You alright?" I whispered in her ear. She let out a short, quiet laugh.

"I expected questions like that from Jerry. I kind of tried to prepare myself for it if I'm being completely honest." She whispered back to me. I laughed a little at her statement, I would have expected the same from Jerry.

"Can I help you guys?" The hostess' voice brought me out of my thoughts.

"Did you guys make reservations?" Blue asked me. I nodded before giving the woman the name the reservation was under. She led us to our table. Blue sat at the edge of the table, and I quickly took the one seat next to her.

"Eager beaver." I heard Kiefer chuckle, patting me on the back. I felt myself turn a deep shade of pink, soon hearing Blue let out a small giggle.

After that, things were a little less embarrassing. Kiefer gave me the occasional smirk, but Wil didn't talk to Blue all that much, at least one on one. Which settled my jealous nerves. Why was I so jealous? Because she was gorgeous? Maybe, but it was highly unlikely. I couldn't put my finger on the feeling, but I knew enough about myself to know that when I got crushes, it was never about them externally, it was more about the internal nature of the girl. And I knew how stupid and cliché that would sound if I said it out loud. And that I would probably be the laughing stock during the rest of the making of the movie. But it was how I felt, really. But I wouldn't have to worry about them knowing. Because I didn't plan on telling them. I wasn't sure about much at that moment, all I knew was that this girl was my polar opposite in every way. But maybe that was a good thing. Different didn't automatically mean bad. In the past few days, she had already taught me so much about accepting someone and how they chose to live their lives. And in that moment, something clicked. I realized that being with someone similar to myself would be… boring. Her different ways of thinking would not ever be something I would personally agree with. But she had a beautiful soul, and I found myself wanting to explore it.

"So we're going to the fair after?" Corey didn't seem to be directing the question towards anyone specific.

"If everyone would be up for it, I'd actually really love to go." Blue beamed at Corey. Corey blushed, obviously a little giddy that she had directed such a pretty facial expression towards him. She really was a doll.

"Well, I'll go. As long as you ride something with me." Wil negotiated. She gave another one of her beautiful signature half smiles.

"Of course I will!" She said before looking down at her menu. I tried not to roll my eyes. I looked towards the other end of the table where Kiefer looked at me with raised eyebrows. He knew I had some sort of torch for her, and I was pretty sure he could sense that I was a little jealous and maybe even unsure of how to approach my new situation.

"Hey River, mind coming with me to get something out of the car?" Kiefer asked me.

"No problem." I stated. But for some reason I knew he didn't need anything out of the car, and I had a gut feeling that I was about to get some advice from the big bad Kiefer Sutherland.

**Bet you guys thought I would never update again! I haven't had ANY time in the past few months to update. But I had a SLIGHTLY free weekend so here's chapter 4! As per usual with my stories, I need reviews before I feel the desire to update! So, if you liked this chapter, or even if you didn't PLEASEEEEE review! What do you guys think of Kiefer? And what about a slightly jealous River? Let me know, loves!**


	5. Chapter 5

When we got outside, we walked to the car. But instead of opening it to get the thing he supposedly needed, he just looked at me for a good minute or so. No expression really, he just stared at me blankly.

"You're confused, aren't you kid?" Kiefer finally spoke. I just nodded. Was it that obvious? He chuckled a little.

"Why so confused? She's beautiful. Gorgeous even. Make your move before someone else on set does. You have a chance if that's what you're thinking. You're young, both of you are young. Go have some fun." His words were nice and encouraging, but he still held an emotionless expression, and his tone wasn't exactly cheerful either. I hadn't yet figured Kiefer out. No matter what he said, he was always kind of scary. I think he just liked messing with all of us.

"I don't know man… I'm not sure if I'd want to open that can of worms with everything she has going on now. But I mean… I don't really know how to deal with having a friendship when the other guys kind of flirt with her, I just feel my blood boil. I don't know. It's dumb. She's better off trying her hand with someone else anyway. I mean… we're SO different." Kiefer didn't really react. Again. I huffed and leaned against the car. I looked back at the restaurant and into a large front window where I got a perfect look at the table we had been seated at. I saw Jerry really invested in a story he seemed to be telling. Everyone looked on, amused at the eleven year old boy. That's when I saw Corey move to sit in my chair, obviously to be closer to Blue. I felt my blood boil... again.

"Kid. If you don't want that to happen." Kiefer gestured toward Corey and Blue. "You need to make _some_ sort of move. Establish something, I guess." He slapped me upside the head. I rubbed the back of my head. He was right.

"Thanks captain obvious." I semi joked. Kiefer gave me a look that made me stop smiling real quick.

"Sorry. Sorry. Don't kill me." I put my hands up in surrender.

"Keep acting like this and I can't promise that won't happen." He said before walking in the direction of the restaurant. I followed. Wide eyed from his words.

When we got back into the restaurant, Blue turned around. Soon a confused expression took over her face. Oh right, we were supposed to be going and getting something. And neither of us had brought anything in.

"I thought I had brought my other jacket, wasn't there." Kiefer said quickly and Blue nodded. Corey got up and went back to his original seat, to my relief. I was afraid that I would have let myself make a big deal about it.

"So I was wondering if you would ride the Ferris Wheel with me." Blue said, looking at me. I felt myself light up.

"Of course, totally." I couldn't help but smile. She smiled back. The waiter soon took our order and we all began to chat about the upcoming scenes we were going to be filming.

"I've got to tell you, my favorite scene in the whole thing is the one where River and Wil have a heart to heart while Corey and Jerry are sleeping. It brought me to tears just reading it. I can't imagine what it's going to be like to see you guys preform it." She said before taking a bite of her Cesar Salad.

"You know I think I'm going to like filming the scene where Wil and I have to run away from the train the best." Jerry added in. We all laughed, knowing that Jerry's character Vern was going to be a hoot throughout that whole scene.

"I really think I'll enjoy my scenes with John Cusack." Wil smiled. No one could play the role of Denny like John was going to, we all knew that for sure. Denny wasn't in a great big portion of the movie, but he was the main character's big brother whom he idolized. The actor who played him would have to know how to leave a big presence with a small amount of lines. And John could do just that. That was for sure.

We exited the restaurant a little over a half an hour later. I walked side by side with Blue, she was talking with Kiefer about something, but I couldn't tell you what about. I was just looking at her.

"You've got a little somethin' there." Corey chuckled, insinuating that I had drooled. I punched him lightly on the shoulder, not verbally replying. I decided that I would finally talk to Blue after standing by her for so long.

"Are we still on for the Ferris Wheel?" I said a bit awkwardly. She beamed, nodding and I couldn't help but smile widely.

"Come on!" She laughed, taking my hand and running the rest of the way until we reached our destination, the Fair's entry. Everyone pulled out their wallets.

"I got it." Kiefer said simply.

"It's five dollars a ticket." The perky Blonde teenage girl informed him. He pulled out two crisp twenties and she handed him the six tickets. I could tell she thought he was cute. The way she tucked her hair behind her ear when he walked up.

"Keep the change. Thanks doll." He winked at her. She bit her lip and turned a light shade of pink, thanking him and letting out a nervous giggle.

"C'mon kids. We got rehearsals tomorrow." He said quickly, walking away, us following. Jerry jogged up to Kiefer.

"You're so cool man! You were so smooth! I mean it was just so-"

"Shut up kid and go find something to do." Kiefer said not even looking away from the path ahead. Jerry bowed his head. He seemed embarrassed.

"Hey Jerry! One of those games where you knock the milk bottles over is right there, will you come with me to play it?" Blue asked, walking backwards in the direction of the game. Jerry nodded, suddenly happy and walking to catch up with her.

"We should go with them." Corey suggested, looking like he was about to take a step. I gripped his shoulder and held him back.

"She asked him to go, not us. They're having a good time, she's making him feel better. Let's go do something else and find them later." I reasoned. Corey just rolled his eyes. I had noticed Corey carried a lot of his character, Teddy's aura and attitude. We all were at least partially like our characters. Jerry was Vern to a T, he had been born to play this role. Wil had the confusion in real life that his character holds for most of the movie. Well, Corey, he had an anger built up inside of him that none of us understood. And me… well, the whole cast and crew thought I didn't know. But I did. I knew I had a natural vulnerability from past experiences in my life. I'd be lying if I said it didn't help me in all of my acting.

"Oh since when are you all about being away from your girlfriend?" Corey questioned. I laughed a little. I knew he would end up saying something like this.

"She's not my girlfriend, Corey." I corrected him. He did all he could do, and that was scoff.

"You wish she was." He rolled his eyes once more. And I couldn't really bring myself to say anything back. Because I had no idea if he was right or not. Just then I heard Blue's blissful giggle.

"Guys! Jerry knocked them all down! All of them!" She said, coming up to us. Jerry looked really giddily at the beautiful girl.

"I've never won anything before!" He said as he gestured towards the giant teddy bear in his arms. Blue patted him on the back and smiled at him. She loved seeing people happy, that was probably one of the best things I had noticed about her.

"That was well earned Jerry! Good goin' kid!" She turned to me and smiled her stunning half smile. And it felt as if I couldn't have stopped myself from smiling back if my life depended on it.

The rest of the night was amazing. We did everything there was to do in that fair and Blue and I did end up riding the Ferris Wheel together. I won some ring toss game and gave her the stuffed elephant prize, coming to find out that was actually her favorite animal. As we walked out, Blue stood close to me, right by my side. Unexpectedly, she leaned her head on my shoulder.

"You guys tired me out." She said as I looked down, seeing her yawn. Which I found myself thinking she looked adorable doing. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders. It felt like more of an instinct rather than an intentional or forced movement. All she did was snuggle into my side.

"I think I'm coming to rehearsals tomorrow." She said softly as we approached Kiefer's car. I opened the car door for her, letting her slide into the car before doing the same.

"I'm glad. The crew really liked you. It's our first real rehearsal, too." I smiled lightly at her, she returned the gesture quickly and soon we were on our way to drop her off. My mother would be meeting Kiefer at the set, something I had confirmed at the payphone back at the fair. The car ride was pretty silent the rest of the way up until we pulled into her driveway.

"I'll walk you to the door?" I offered, and she nodded. I got out of the car and held the car door open for her as she stepped out as well. Once we reached the porch, I was just about to tell her goodnight when she lunged at me, hugging me, what felt like, as tight as she could.

"Thank you." She whispered in my ear before pulling away.

"For what?" I chuckled slightly, though I was genuinely curious.

"For this," She held up the elephant "A-and just everything. You've been a good friend. Better than most of my friends back home and I met you less than a week ago. Just, thank you. Being around you has made everything that has happened so much easier for me. Thank you so much, River." And before I knew it, she had given me a quick kiss on the cheek and scurried into her house, shutting the door and not saying another word.

**AGAIN, I bet you guys thought I would never update again! Surprise! I am SO sorry this took so long to get up, but here it is and I hope you liked it. If you have any desire at all for another chapter, you MUST review! I have some time on my hands for this next about week and a half but I won't be able to get the motivation to write if you don't review, whether it's bad or good. Thank you SO much for reading, it really does mean the world!**


	6. Chapter 6

Blue's point of view

I could not believe what had just happened. I had just… well I had technically kissed him, not on the lips but it was still a kiss. I didn't know why I had done it. Not in the least. I couldn't help myself, honestly. I didn't mean to do it, it just happened. But above all, It felt right. And I felt as though I couldn't have stopped myself even if I wanted to. In that moment I had felt something take over me. I didn't know what it was, but I was pretty sure I liked it. As soon as I had shut the door, I leaned against it and bit my lip, holding back a smile.

"e onde você esteve , senhorita (And where have you been, miss)?" I heard my granmother's voice. I didn't want to deal with this right now. Not when everything had just gone so damn good. Not when I was finally beginning to feel better about what had been going on with my father. "Eu lhe disse para onde estava indo antes avó! Eu não preciso disso agora. Eu estou indo para a cama. (I told her where I was going before grandmother! I do not need this now. I am going to bed.)" I growled the words before walking down the hallway towards my bedroom. She could be so nasty sometimes and I just wasn't going to have it tonight. And she had another thing coming if she thought I was going to take it lying down. "Você deve estar no hospital, como o resto de nós ter sido. Pare de ser tão egoísta. (You should be at the hospital like the rest of us have been. Stop being so selfish.)" She yelled at me. I didn't know whether to scream back at her or cry. All I knew was that I wanted to be away from her as soon as possible. "Minha mãe disse que é ruim para mim estar lá tanto! Ela disse que eu preciso para manter minha mente fora dela. Ela quer que eu manter a minha visita a um mínimo assim que eu evitar, tanto tristeza quanto eu posso! (My mother said it is bad for me to be there so much! She said I need to keep my mind off of it. She wants me to keep my visiting to a minimum so I will avoid as much sadness as I can.)" I screamed, almost at the top of my lungs. I needed her to stop before she took things too far. She had always been overbearing and had always treated my mother like absolute trash. Now that her sister was in an old folks home, and my grandpa had been dead since before I was born, and also considering my dad was an only child, my dad was all she had left. I swore to myself that she treated me worse and worse as I got older, the reason being I seemed to look more like my mom each day. She hated my mom for no reason. And so by the time I was about eleven, I began to understand why they didn't get along and it made me angry until I just didn't love my grandma anymore. She was a mean and nasty old lady who I wanted out of my life. But the likelihood of that ever happening was slim to none. "Jordan Pistol Maynes. Your brother is sleeping. Go to bed." I looked further down the hall to see my mother, arms crossed, looking at me rather sternly. I wanted so badly to continue telling that woman off, but I didn't want to give my mom a hard time, not with everything that was going on. I simply turned around and gave my grandmother a dirty look before heading to my room. I shut the door firmly, then changing into my pajamas, taking my hair out of the ponytail it had been in, and plopping down on my bed, putting my face in my hands. Boy, had this night been ruined for me. But that's when I began to think of River. And what a great, stress free night he and the rest of the boys had given me. I hugged the stuffed elephant he had won me at the fair close to my chest. I got under my blankets and was just about to snuggle into my pillows, there was a light knock on my door before it creaked open slowly. Thankfully, it was only my mom. But I didn't really feel like talking to her either, so I sank into my pillows and closed my eyes. "Jay, please talk to me. Let's just talk for a moment." She sat on the edge of my bed, rubbing a loving hand up and down my back. I let out a deep sigh, moments later I flipped my body over so I was on my back and staring at my mother. She brushed away some of my stray hairs that had fallen into my face. She then let out a long exasperated breath. "Darling, I love you. You know I do. And I know your heart is in the right place. But you can't be angry with her like this. She's your grandmother, your father's mother, and you need to respect her." She caressed the right side of my face with her warm hand. She was looking at me sympathetically, which then proved to me that she understood that on some ground I had the right to be mad at that woman. "Mom, listen to me. I know you just want me to have a good relationship with her, but I'm not seven anymore. I've connected the dots and I now understand what her comments towards you mean. And it seems the more of you she sees in me the less she likes me. I have no respect for that woman. The fact that you're allowing her to stay here is baffling." All my mom could do was look up at the ceiling. She knew I was absolutely right in every possible way. She had a heart of pure gold though, so I knew she would never ask my grandma to leave. "She's your father's mother, Jay. You don't like her, I get that. But like me, you are going to have to put up with her, understood?" She looked back at me finally and her eyes were glassy. "But WHY do we have to put up with her, mom?!" I screeched out in a whisper. I hadn't planned on snapping, but I couldn't help it, I wanted this lady gone. "For your father! We need to do it for him! No matter how hard it is for us, she is very good to him and he loves her very much. Now, I need this discussion to be over. Get some sleep, you need it if you're going on set tomorrow. Let's be cool about this. Be respectful, at the very least, dear." I simply nodded and she kissed my forehead, getting off the bed and shutting the light off soon after. "But mom..." I stuttered out. She murmured something, letting me know I could continue. "Why don't you and grandma get along in the first place?" I asked her in a low voice. I didn't know whether or not I should have asked the question, but curiosity had gotten the best of me. Even in the dark, I could sense that my mother's facial expression had dropped. I could hear her gulp thanks to the dead silence. "That's a discussion for another time. Maybe when you're a bit older." She said to me before turning and heading for her bedroom. As what seemed to now be the usual, the silence and alone time led me to think of my father. I couldn't get the image of him falling out of my head. It was_ my_ fault that had happened. It was my fault that he was in the hospital. And it was my fault that we had no idea if he would leave that hospital dead or alive. I broke out into sobs, just like the night before and brought my knees to chest, cradling them as I bowed my head and wept. I suddenly heard footsteps again. I knew it was my mom once more. "Scoot over, baby." She whispered to me in a tender voice. I did so and she crawled into my bed with me. I cuddled up to my mom, sobbing into her chest. I knew falling asleep might be easier with the comfort of my mother's warm embrace, but the pain wasn't going to change, no matter who hugged me. Except for my father, and I knew it was impossible for him to hug me back, at least at the moment. "It was my fault, at least in a way." She whispered in my ear. "What do you mean?" I whispered back, a little confused by her words. "Your grandma. She doesn't like me because she thinks your father settled for me. You see, after your grandfather died, she wanted to move back to Portugal with your father. She'd hoped your father would find a woman there and make a life for , I think it was the day before they were due to start packing up to move, he met me. We really hit it off and then he told his mom he didn't want to move anymore. She was furious with me, not him and he had to beg her to come to the wedding about a year later. And when I say beg, I mean beg. She never forgave me and that's why we ended up here." I felt my mom shrug her shoulders, though I knew it was a whole lot more than a shrug to her. "You proved her wrong, you guys have been married forever and have me and Matthew. It's hard to believe dad was raised by someone like that." I croaked out. I was in pure shock at the story. It was a story I had been wanting to hear for a few years now. And if I'm blunt, I had no idea what to expect put of the story. But, if I was being honest, there was no way in hell I would keep that woman around if I was my mother. "I need you to keep the fact that you know about the situati0n on the down low, for me, okay? I need you to know I let her nasty comments roll off my shoulders now. I've learned to deal with it. You can too, for your dad." She pulled me closer to her and kissed my nose. I knew she was right. My dad and his mom had a good relationship for the most part, and I guess me not liking her shouldn't get in the way of that. "But, mom, I'm still confused as to how and why you put up with her." I swallowed hard, for the second time that night, I was wondering if I should have asked my mom what I had just asked her. "Like I said a second ago. For your dad. You see, even though it doesn't really affect me now, in the first years of our marriage the way she treated me did get to my head. But, I've never complained about it to your father. Because I know that relationships take courage and sacrifice if they're going to outlast the big storms that come hurdling through. And if I'm honestly, your grandmother is probably the biggest storm our relationship has had to endure to date. But my love for your father makes it worth dealing with. If it had been anyone else treating me like that, there would be hell to pay, trust me on that. But I put up with it for your dad, because I love him more than life itself. The only other people I would do something like this for are you and your brother." I didn't really know what I could say that did my mom's caring words justice. So I just said something I knew was true. "I love you mama." I said simply, and she just kissed the top of my head before we both drifted off to sleep.

**I was never going to update again but.. yeah! I've gained passion for this story again. To keep the passion going, I ask for reviews. I've already began writing the next chapter, so review to help motivate me to finish it and post it soon. Love to you all!**


	7. Chapter 7

pre style="line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;"I waltzed onto the set the next day, I had to put on makeup again, because my eyes looked so bad from crying and fatigue. I wanted to go and watch today, I needed to. This was the kind of thing that made me the happiest. I needed this more than ever. I thankfully had been able to avoid my grandmother this morning and was able to make it out of the house with my mom without looking at the crotchety woman twice. Though I was pretty sure I would have to talk to her when I got home that evening. I marched onto the set, walking towards the tree house, up until Jerry lunged in front of me, a huge grin on his face./span/pre  
pre style="line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;" "I had loads of fun last night Jay! I still can't believe I won! I almost brought the bear to show Rob, but my mom wouldn't let me..." Jerry was breathing really hard by the time he was done talking, he had talked so fast. I just smiled at him. He turned a light shade of pink. /span/pre  
pre style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;""Doll, you did end up making it out here today." Kiefer's familiar voice came into play./span/pre  
pre style="line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;" "Wouldn't miss it." I bit my lip shyly./span/pre  
pre style="line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;" "Well, I'm glad, but I know someone else who's a lot giddier than me." And with that, he gestured to River who was across the outdoor set. Soon realizing I was looking right at him, River quickly turned on his heels and shuffled farther away./span/pre  
pre style="line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;" "Go talk to the kid." Kiefer chuckled in a low, yet seemingly light hearted tone. I began to try and mumble out an excuse not to, but Kiefer quickly talked over me./span/pre  
pre style="line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;" "Don't even try it. I see how he gawks at you. But hey, don't think I'm blind. I see you doin' it too when you think no one's watchin'." I gulped hard. But I hadn't really been trying to hide the fact that I had been staring at him the way I had. And truth be told, part of me wanted me to notice the way he looked. I looked to Kiefer one more time, who just nodded toward River. I sighed, walking over to River. He looked up in time to realize what I was doing and met me half way. He smiled shyly at me, I noted a redness in his cheeks. He seemed more nervous and shy than usual. He smiled halfheartedly. There was an undeniably awkward silence. I realized that I was probably going to be the one to have to speak first. As I opened my mouth, he opened his and spoke before I could. /span/pre  
pre style="line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;" "I have the go study my lines, I'll see you later, I guess." He went to turn around, but I caught his arm. He was acting really strange. /span/pre  
pre style="line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;" "What's the matter with you? Did I do something wrong?" His eyes widened, and he shook his head furiously. I bit the inside of my cheek nervously, what could have possibly happened to make him this fidgety around me? I didn't want to lose him as a friend, whatever I had done, I could apologize for it, couldn't I? That's when I realized it. I was beyond afraid of losing him. I really hadn't known him long at all, in fact I could hardly say I knew him. But we had already forged a bond that had made me grow attached to him. I was usually so independent. This was a new feeling for me. We had met at a moment in my life where I was vulnerable and needed a friend. And he had been that friend. Almost right off the bat. I had let myself settle on the assumption that I had only grown this close to him this fast because I didn't want to lose him. /span/pre  
pre style="line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;" "N-nothing. I promise it's nothing." River rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. He wasn't a very good liar, I had now come to find. I bit my lip. Something was wrong, off was probably a better word./span/pre  
pre style="line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;" "Please be honest with me." I said just above a whisper. He looked up, I could tell he wasn't going to be able to lie to me, even if he kind of wanted to./span/pre  
pre style="line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;" "Come over for dinner again tonight." I could tell he was beating around the bush, but I did want to go, all the more time to figure out why he was acting so strange. He looked like he had a lot on his mind. Like he may have been stressing over something./span/pre  
pre style="line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;" "Jay! Good to see you here." Corey ran up to me. He looked between me and River. He raised his eyebrows up and down. He was apparently too naive to realize there was a bit of tension./span/pre  
pre style="line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;" "You know, I think he likes you." My brows scrunched together in confusion. I rolled my eyes, brushing his comment off./span/pre  
pre style="line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;" "I hardly think so." I laid down on the grass that had been below my feet. There was no way he liked me, at least in the manner that I thought Corey meant it./span/pre  
pre style="line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;" "Hey, hey, don't get too defensive. Just thought you should know the feelings you probably have, I think he feels the same way." Corey grinned at me. It seemed like he either wanted to cause some sort of trouble or actually did want to see how these supposed feelings turned out. Either way, I was confused. I just stared at him blankly./span/pre  
pre style="line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;" "You'd wanted to give him that kiss all night, didn't you?" I felt my eyes widen and my cheeks heat up. Was that why he was acting so weird? I had totally forgotten, given everything that had happened with my family and I after the fair. Maybe I shouldn't have. But I really couldn't have helped myself, everything he had done for me… maybe I did like him a little bit. At this point, I just didn't know. Every emotion was just so jumbled up at this point, I wasn't able to think straight. /span/pre  
pre style="line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;" "That doesn't mean-" I tried, but Corey cut me off. I could tell that he was always going to be a friend that wouldn't let me BS him. Which was good, especially for right now./span/pre  
pre style="line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;" "Again with the anxious attitude. It was just a kiss on the cheek. You have the final say in what that even meant, just know that." /span/pre  
pre style="line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;" I'd talked it over with my mom and she said she and my brother had been at the hospital and if I wanted to go with River I would need to have a ride back to the house. Which, apparently, Heart wouldn't mind doing. /span/pre  
pre style="line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;" "Can we please talk after dinner? I think it's really important." River's voice was a bit shaky, but he had courage. I could tell it was probably what he had been thinking about earlier in the day. As we waited for his mother to come and pick us up, things became a bit more normal. We began to talk about the day's scene work and the way the other boys were coming along acting wise. Everyone had done well. Jerry was the most prepared though. And they all knew that was the case./span/pre  
pre style="line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;" Soon enough, his mom was there to pick us up. She was actually a very pretty lady. She had a warm air about her, I had felt it the first time I met her and I still felt it then. I knew I wasn't going to agree with everything she stood for. But, like with River, I felt like that wasn't going to matter so much, after a while./span/pre  
pre style="line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;" "My youngest sister has mentioned you a couple of times. She thinks the two of you really hit it off." River said, referring to the only sibling who wasn't in their vehicle. I smiled. She had been a sweet girl. /span/pre  
pre style="line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;" "We've been wishing your father well, Blue. We were sorry to hear." Heart's voice was present once more. Granted she didn't sound nervous, she probably didn't feel awkward bringing it up. I didn't have much else to say but 'thank you' and that made things a little awkward, on my end at least. River gave me a look of uncertainty, as if he didn't know how he was supposed to fix the silence. I had no clue, but soon enough we arrived at their house./span/pre  
pre style="line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;" Summer ran right into my arms, which made me feel better than I had in the van. I had missed her in a way too. /span/pre  
pre style="line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;" After dinner, which had actually been really great, I sat with Liberty and Rain on the back porch. I could tell that they seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Corey, because they kept bringing River and I, as a duo, up in the conversation. Again, I didn't really have any idea what to say. /span/pre  
pre style="line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;" "Yeah, he's really helped me through a lot. It's kind of like I found him at just the right time, if you get what I mean." Both of the girls nodded at me. /span/pre  
pre style="line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;" "Any time he's home he's worried about you and how you're doing." Rain smiled at me. I bit my lip and laughed, a bit embarrassed that it was apparently known that I needed to be worried about./span/pre  
pre style="line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;" "I swear! But sometimes I think it's just a reason to talk about you." Liberty added in whilst giggling. I stuttered for a moment. Before any words out, the screen door opened. The three of us looked to see River. The young girls burst into fits of laughter before running barefoot through their large backyard away from River and I. /span/pre  
pre style="line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;" "They're very… open." I laughed, he didn't seem to think it was funny. He sat next to me. I could tell he was getting ready to say something, so I looked in his direction./span/pre  
pre style="line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;" "Does your grandmother abuse you?" the words were blurted out, yet they were still quietly said. I couldn't have been taken more by surprise. Out of everything he could have said, this? Where could he have gathered enough information to make this assumption? Apparently he sensed my confusion, because he spoke again./span/pre  
pre style="line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;" "Is that why you were acting so weird at rehearsal today?" I asked him. I knew it couldn't be just the innocent peck on the cheek./span/pre  
pre style="line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;" "Yeah. It's just.. you kind of said something about her before we left for dinner last night and then I heard her yelling at you. It's not right." I shook my head. He had the wrong impression. My grandma was pretty horrible, but she had never hit me. /span/pre  
pre style="line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;" "Look I'm fine I prom-" he didn't let me finish. He clearly knew what I was going to say. He laughed a bit./span/pre  
pre style="line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;" "I'm sure you are. But if she were to ever make you feel unsafe, you'd let somebody know right? It doesn't have to be me, just promise me you would tell somebody if she made you feel a certain way." I couldn't help but smile at him when he said this. /span/pre  
pre style="line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;" "D-do you want to go get dessert right now? Like just us two?" It was quiet outside, so I was able to notice how shaky his voice was. I struggled to find my answer, I was caught off guard. /span/pre  
pre style="line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;" "Y-yeah. I'd like that." I smiled at him again. He didn't smile back, he just stared at me for a bit. Unexpectedly, he leaned in rather quickly and kissed my lips gently. He was a gentle person. This was only my third kiss, and I wasn't quite sure what to do, I was so taken by surprise. But I found myself enjoying the kiss. I could tell he had more experience than me, but it didn't really seem to matter. We pulled apart a mere few seconds later. My heart was beating fast./span/pre  
pre style="line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;" "I really, really wanted to do that." He whispered. I just looked at him./span/pre  
pre style="line-height: 200%; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #212121;" "I'm really, really glad you did." I said back, hugging him once more./span/pre 


End file.
